5 Healthy Foods That Are Making You Fat

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Are you hitting a wall when it comes to your efforts to lose weight? It happens to the best and most diet conscientious among us. Once you made the decision to eat healthier foods and cut out the junk food, you probably lost quite a bit of weight rather quickly. But then you may have hit the dreaded plateau. It seems no matter how healthy you keep your choices, you just can’t lose another pound and, as if to add insult to injury, you actually gained a few pounds. The problem is that our concept of healthy foods leads us to believe we will automatically lose weight because we eat them. But, as you know by now, this is not true. There are most likely some very healthy foods in your diet that can have the adverse effect and make you fat.

Avocados

We’ve all heard how healthy an avocado is, mostly because it is nutrient rich, as well as being loaded with good fats. How much fat? An average avocado has over 30 grams of fat and around 300 calories. The good news is that it only has 1 gram of sugar. While it being low on the glycemic index is great news, it is still considered to be high in fat. These fats are known to reduce cholesterol levels, but they can also cause you to pack on the pounds. It might be time to rethink that big bowl of guacamole.

Nuts

No doubt nuts are one of the most natural healthy foods available. They are loaded with essential nutrients, protein, fiber, and high in good fats. For instance, one serving of almonds, or about 22 nuts, contains over one-third of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin E. But, that small handful of nuts also contains 160 calories.

Walnuts are an excellent source of protein and are great for boosting heart health. But just seven whole walnuts, or about 14 halves, pack a whopping 190 calories. Walnuts are low in sugar at just 2.1 grams per cup, but contain 20 grams of fat per serving. The combination of fat and calories can add weight, rather than help you take it off.

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit sounds healthy and actually are because of their high nutrient content. But when fruit is dried, it is concentrated. What does that mean? You need to eat a lot more of it to fill you up. If you eat a cup of fresh apricots, you’ll consume a little over 70 calories, but one cup of dried apricots has more than 200 calories. Per ounce, dried fruit can have as much as 102 calories, over 16 grams of sugar, yet less than a gram of fat. That’s on par with some of the candies you’re avoiding!

While it may be considered a low-fat option for dieters, the high calorie count and sugar content can be detrimental for those trying to lose weight. Depending on which brands of dried fruit are available in your area, these healthy snacks can also be preserved with sulfur dioxide, as well as have added sugars to make them sweeter to the taste. Even though they are an excellent source of fiber and nutrients, it is very easy to eat too much. This, of course, can sabotage your weight loss efforts.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a favorite included in many diet plans due to its high content of protein and low calorie count. Many brands are made with low-fat milk that helps reduce the amount of fat being consumed. A typical brand of flavored yogurt has only 100 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. Sounds healthy right? The trouble with yogurt is that just 6 ounces may contain as much as 30 grams of sugar. As the body tries to get rid of these added sugars, the liver tries to store them as fat, which again can be counterproductive to weight loss efforts. If you can’t find a low sugar option, you’d be better off with low fat cottage cheese.

Granola

Granola is touted as a healthy snack option and it comes in a variety of forms. You can purchase granola type cereals, trail mix containing granola, or the all-time favorite granola bar. Often times foods containing granola are also loaded with nuts and seeds, while others add dried fruit, all of which can lead to high fat and calorie content, as well as added weight.

A typical granola bar contains about 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 8 grams of sugar. So even though they are made with whole grains and many natural ingredients, they are not very filling and the extra fat and sugar content can put on the pounds.

If you’re gaining unhealthy weight in spite of a healthy diet and exercise regimen and any of these high-calorie healthy foods are presently on your menu, then it’s safe to say you should begin to limit your consumption of these foods. There’s no doubt they are good for you. But if you are struggling to lose those last few pounds, eliminating or at least limiting their consumption can help to ensure your success.